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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

How To: DIY Stump Table

You guys, we made a table from a slice of tree stump, no joke! We mentioned tackling a DIY project we were pretty excited about weekend before last — well we finally got it finished and this is it. Here's the whole (very long) story of how this all came about and step by step instructions of exactly how it went down in the event you want to tackle making one of your own!

We started out with a stump — obviously. What's funny about how this all came about is in how we actually found and brought the stump home. Mary walks Basil through the Fan (our neighborhood) every morning and pretty much takes the same route. On her daily walk she began coming across this same stump on the side of the street where the trash and recycling are put out:

It just sat there day after day and about 2 weeks after she began seeing
it she started telling me each evening how she wanted me to go get it
so we could make something out of it. I kinda brushed it off at first
thinking it would get picked up, but let me tell you how persistent Mary
can be once she gets an idea in her head. You can probably tell that by
the third week in a row she was walking by this stump that we drove
over to it one evening and picked it up off the sidewalk to bring home.

The stump was heavy as all get out but I was able to get it in the front seat of the car safely, buckle her in and bring her back home (please don't ask me why my shorts are riding up so high in this photo, maybe the most embarrassing shot of me on the blog to date):

Once getting the stump slice back home, we set it in our garage to hang out and let it continue to dry out for another week while we talked about what we wanted to do with it. We decided a side table to replace the red stool we've been using in place of a table in our family room could be pretty awesome, so we went for it!

Mary had already been on the lookout for a set of hairpin legs, thinking we might like to raise the trunk our TV sits on, so we went ahead and bought this handmade set of 3 from Cream Street Shop on Etsy. Not only were they super affordable, but they are made right here in Virginia — we were sold.

Since we knew we'd want to make the stump into a side table in-between our 2 couches, we'd need the end result to be right around 24 inches tall. Once we had the stump hanging out in our garage we were able to measure it to find it was 10 inches tall. This is how we were able to determine the length of the legs we'd need to order. We figured 14" legs plus the 10" tall stump would put us right into the sweet spot.

Weekend before last, after a week or more sealed off in our garage, we brought the stump out in the alley to start working on it. I'd talked to a woodworking friend of mine who lent me a handheld planer tool and recommended a woodcrafting shop I check out for protectants and sealing finishes for the table.

We really liked the overall look and feel of the stump the way it was, so we wanted to keep it as natural as possible while making sure we elevated it to the next level in terms of craftsmanship. Mary and I were hoping to leave the natural bark on the outside of the stump instead of peeling it off but weren't sure if it was doomed to fall off due to the following crack in the bark:

The expert at the woodcraft store told us so long as there wasn't a black line all the way around the stump where the bark meets the wood that we'd be fine to leave it in tact. We were excited to find we'd be able to leave the bark on ours for that more natural look we were going for.

Like I said, we quite literally set up this DIY operation in our back alley:

After sweeping and wiping down the stump of all external debris and areas that were bound to break off, out came the planer to really get this job started. I began by running it around the full perimeter of the stump's edge to knock off the outermost layer of bark and really smooth out the edges of this soon to be table:

See how chamfering around the full edge exposed the internal layers, created a redish ring around the stump and really smoothed out that outer layer while giving it some added definition and dimension:

This is where we both began to get really excited that we were actually going to pull this whole "operation stump table" off. Then it was on to planing the flat top of the stump to level things out and really take off that top layer of wood that had been exposed to the elements for who knows how long:

Planing the top surface was pretty straightforward — it just took a steady hand and a little patience before we'd gotten that fresh layer of exposed wood we were looking for. Then it was time to pull out the sander. Have I mentioned how much I loved that this "DIY project" required the use or more than a few of my power tools?

We began with a rough 80 grit sandpaper to really even out the top of the table and eliminate any remaining lines from where I'd completed the planing:

All I have to say is, thank goodness for the electric sander. Mary and I were both a little anal about getting every last line and imperfection out of the top of that stump, so the sanding portion of this project is what took the longest.

I sanded and sanded:

Then I took a break and Mary began sanding! We sanded and sanded and then sanded some more until we eventually began seeing those lines disappear. Also, who doesn't love seeing a woman working with power tools?

At one point, I set down my Full Sail LTD beer on the top of the stump while Mary was still sanding — it was at that point that this little table was beginning to come to life for me. I could envision weekends with sports on the TV and a beer on the stump table by my side...it would only be a matter of time.

After we got every last ridge out of the top of this stump, I sanded it a couple more times with a finer grit sandpaper to really smooth and polish things up.

Once we finished sanding Mary said her arms felt like jelly. Then we looked at the table and realized how much the top of it looked like the face of an owl:

See the two big eyes and beak in the middle? Pretty crazy right?

We decided we wanted this side to be the top of the table since the double rings were most prominent on this side. Given the two sets of rings, we figured this slice of the tree must have been the portion of the stump where twins were about to emerge and branch out.

After all that sanding it was time for a little wood stabilizer before flipping this puppy over to work on the bottom.

The expert at the Woodcraft store (along with my woodworker friend) recommended we use Wood Juice.
Honestly, we were sold on the name alone, not to mention the fact it
boasts being able to prevent checking, cracking and warping in wood.

I poured and thoroughly wiped on 2 coats of the wood juice, which was fun to watch since the wood promptly absorbed it into all of it's nooks, crannies and rings, bubbling up a little as if it were thirsty.

You could really see the intricacies of the wood coming through at this point. Once the stabilizer was applied to our liking, we covered it in plastic, as the instructions called for, and took a break. Whew!

Later that day we came back out, flipped the stump over and started almost from the beginning. Before doing so, here's what the top of the stump looked like after the stabilizer had fully absorbed:

After flipping it over, I planed all the way around the edge of the bottom of the stump, then instead of planing the surface I went straight into rough sanding. Since we knew this side would be the bottom of the table, we didn't put quite as much sweat and tears into ensuring the smoothness was perfect — we were just going for level:

You may be able to see why we chose the other side as the top of the table from the picture above — we just liked the way the two rings were so much larger and more prominent on the flip side. You can also see how this slice of the stump must have been the starting ground for where the single trunk of the tree became two judging from how close the rings are on this bottom side.

Once I got a rough sanding done on this side, we went for another couple coats of the Wood Juice to ensure overall protection:

While we waited for those applications to absorb and dry, we took the opportunity to go ahead and spray the rough bark sides of the stump with a low odor clear gloss finishing spray:

Like we said before, we love the look of the natural bark and wanted to keep it in tact. That being said, we didn't want to have to constantly be cleaning up little bark pieces and particles around the table once it was inside, so the clear gloss finishing spray made sure to seal everything in place and add a subtle sheen to the natural bark.

After spraying and waiting for everything to dry, it was time to pull out the power drill and install the hairpin legs:

We eyeballed placement for best look and feel, then I slowly drilled each screw into place, ensuring the legs were level and sturdy. Once they were drilled into place, we called it a day and let our table sit overnight to continue to absorb the wood protector:

The next day we virtually jumped out of bed to go check on the table, flip it over and see how things were taking shape:

As I flipped the table over, two thoughts went through my head. One being how heavy this sucker was and two being how things were about to get real:

Things were completely level after the flip (so we high fived) and we could envision this little project actually turning into the table we'd been talking about! We felt like we were on the home stretch as we whipped out the can of topcoat and began sealing this stump table off for good.

We told him we wanted the top of the table to be completely sealed and functional, yet retain it's natural look and feel without being too glossy. He told us this satin finish oil and urethane topcoat would do the trick and if properly applied that we'd be able to rest sweaty and wet glasses all over the top of the table with no damage. This sounded too good to be true, not to mention the fact we don't (as a rule) leave sweaty glasses to hang out on wood surfaces, but we liked the sound of what we heard, so we went with it. I will admit that the thought of resting my ice cold glass beer bottle on this table while watching a game or two did cross my mind...

We applied a very thin and even layer of the topcoat along the grain of the wood using a foam craft brush (recommended for consistency) and watched as the top of the wood began to really shine through and come to life:

Applying the topcoat was fun in that we knew we were almost finished with the project and it was a pretty methodical and relaxing process since we had to go really slow and even. After we got the first full application of topcoat on the table, we cleaned everything up and let it sit to dry over the next 24 hours.

This is probably my favorite picture from the whole table making process — a man in his workshop, it's a beautiful thing:

Over the next several evenings, we'd creep into the garage to get a sneak peek at how our little table was shaping up and apply a new layer topcoat:

We ended up putting 5 very thin and even coats of the topcoat on the surface of the table, just to make sure things were sealed and set. After the 4th coat I gently sanded and buffed the topcoat with a #220 fine grit sandpaper before putting the final topcoat on. Sanding and buffing allows for a final smoothing of any ridges in the sealer and allows for a cleaner application of the final coat.

24 hours after applying the final coat of sealer, we carefully brought the table inside to dry and cure further over the next couple of days in our front room. While the stump had plenty of time to dry in the garage, the differences in humidity of being indoors vs. outside vary greatly, so we really wanted to give the table a chance to take shape and set up in its final surroundings before putting it to use.

Here's how she looks in all of her glory:

We just love the natural wood look paired with the industrial metal hairpin legs — which we think give the table a little bit of a retro modern feeling too. We're also really happy with how the satin finish topcoat created a bit of a sheen on the top of the table without being glossy or high shine — it really allowed the natural intricacies of the wood to take center stage:

You can even still see the owl's face, and it's a little more pronounced now that all the details have been brought out of the wood:

Once we were ready to put the table to use for real, Mary started fussing with flowers, mirror glass vases, candles and magazines — all I could think was, what is happening to my manly beer table!?

She assured me she just wanted to show the table in it's best light for this blog reveal and that our remotes, drinking glasses and other "real life" staples would most likely soon overtake the table once outside of the camera's spotlight. I bought it and went with it, though the books and flowers are still on the table as we speak and I have to admit, they are growing on me.

We snapped a ton of photos of the table in it's new home as a side table between our two couches in the family room:

And finally, a shot of the new table with Basil sleeping in the foreground — you know, for good measure:

What's that? You want to see a better one with Jerry in it too? Well, since you asked:

And the before and after:

This is the first piece of furniture Mary and I have made together, and we're feeling pretty proud of it. We're still in what we like to call the honeymoon phase with our new little tree slice table — every time we walk by it we stop to admire it and say something along the lines of "can you believe we made that table, it's just so cool."

We also feel like the table has helped with the evolution of this room — replacing the red stool with something a little more substantial just makes the space feel that much more homey.

We hope this post has helped show how easy it can be to transform something headed for the trash into a beautiful piece of functional furniture that could be a new focal point in your home! What have you been working on lately?

Repurposing that stump was a great idea! The end results look fantastic. Cheers for showing us the process and the products that you used and I can't actually see where that beer is going to fit...;) Here's hoping that Basil doesn't decide to tackle the table like he tackled your grape!

I saw that stump table floating around on Pinterest this week, and had no idea that was your own project! Way to go! I've been considering something similar since we had a big tree cut down last December - never got around to it though. I will be following this tutorial exactly - thank you!

Love your piece -- and it's a fun post to read. Been saving a slice of the 'family' chokecherry tree that came down in a storm a few summers ago. So glad to find hairpin legs made here in the USA. Thanks for sharing!

This is amazing! My boyfriend and I actually just bought about 8 red cedar wood tree slices a bit thinner than that stump... and we are just waiting for the hairpin legs that we ordered to arrive. I swear! What a coincidence. Thank you so much for the product advice, we hadn't decided on a sealer yet. Amazing work, it's so rustic modern. Love it.

This is incredible, and thank you for such a thorough tutorial! I know you used a broom to sweep the top...what did you use to wipe it down? Also did you spray the krylon spray in just one coat or more? Is it still holding the outside bark on? I don't want to get any step wrong :) We also have a little kids and I don't want them to be able to damage that bark with their curiosity. Thanks!

I'm always too lazy to comment on blogs but I just had to stop and comment on this one!

Not only are you both so cute (lovely to see a couple working on a DIY together and blog about it!) but you are entertaining writer. GREAT project and even better blogging. Keep up the great work - I look forward to seeing more DIYs. :)

If my style could be encapsulated in one small table, I believe this is it. Beautiful work! I recently made a sofa table with a reclaimed wood plank and hairpin legs, and this incarnation puts that to shame. I have to find a stump and do this immediately! Thank you for the great tips.

(In small world news... I found your blog through Apartment Therapy, and was surprised to find out in you live right here in the Fan, too. Excited to add your blog to my rotation!)

AWESOME TUTORIAL. I have a huge stump in my living room that's been there for years. It sheds bark, and it's annoying, and I was thinking about carving it into something, but now I want to buy those hairpin legs and make an end table, which we could also use...Thanks for posting this. You're saving me a load of time researching what products to apply to the wood.

I have to tell you, I bookmarked this link a long time ago and haven't forgotten it! It's been a project I've really wanted to do. Today, while driving around, I saw someone had cut down a tree and left all the wood cut nicely in a pile, so I grabbed a stump! I was wondering if you just put the topcoat on the top surface of the wood, or if you put it around the bark as well?

I am wanting to seal a table I made from old barn wood and came across your blog. how many layers of the top coat did you do and how thick was the end product? my table has a butterfly leaf and I wanted to make sure that the top coat wouldn't be too thick to store the leaf:)

Thanks so much for the tutorial, I'm actually using it for two purposes. The first is a large loblolly pine cross section (or "cookie") that I am turning into a side table like yours. I'm expecting your tips on products will really bring out the pine's beautiful tree rings.

Second, I'm helping some friends turn some smaller pine cookies into centerpieces for their wedding reception tables. This brought up an issue that others might find useful: differences in dealing with green or freshly cut wood. Soft wood species (like pines) contain a lot of water and as they dry the cell walls will shrink considerably causing at least one really large, unsightly crack. Wood Juice is best used on wood that is already dry. In the case of green wood, you should use a wood preservative like pentacryl that literally pushes out and replaces the water, allowing the cookie to dry without cracking. Also, you will save more of the beautiful bark if you cut the tree in the winter when it isn't growing (unless it is freshly dead, in which case you should cut it up immediately before it is attacked by insects).

My husband and I made one of these instead of pin legs we used a small picnic stool painted black. I love it. We are going to make some taller ones to set around with pillow to set on for extra seating.

I'd never heard of wood juice before and read the only comment on Amazon. I hunted for more information and found instructions for use on another web site. Did you use several coats? How long did you wait for it to dry? By the way, this is a great DIY. I like the details and all the pictures. Thanks

So glad I stumbled across this. All the other tutorials remove the bark. I read where eventually it will fall off even if you've sealed it. Thoughts on that? I have a stump waiting to be table-fied but I want to leave the bark on!

Hi! I have had a tree stump just like yours waiting and lying around. Now you have given me fresh energy to finish this devil :-) I love your advice for preserving the bark. Thanks for the very clear and easy instructions, Max

I love what you have done with that log, we love working with wood, we bought a bundle of timber slabs to make some outdoor furniture to replace what we lost when the house burnt down and it is still sitting there waiting for us to do something with it, we will get to it soon I hope,

I have a chopping block in my kitchen that my dad made when I built the house. Its part of a tree they cut with a chain saw. He took all the bark off and turned it upside down and poured over 5gallon of Wesson oil in it to hopfully keep it from cracking. That was in 1986. It took 3 big men to get that heavy log into my kitchen. It has 4legs cut out also. And today it is my most precious piece since hes not here. And in 2015 its so much lighter. I can move it alone, but it has beautiful small cracks not split into. I have it all natural with no stain, varnish or anything!! I love it!!!

WOW! Great job! It really turned out beautifully. Thank you for sharing. A few years ago they took out the trees between my parents house and the next property, trees that had been there my whole life and being sentimental as I am, I saved a huge slice for just such a purpose. So I am going to follow your lead and get working on it. Thank you for the tips! So happy I ran across your blog!

Just saw your project on Pinterest. I'm amazed that this was your first furniture project. You seem like a "old pro". Really, it's absolutely lovely! Your step-by-step instructions seem so easy to follow that I'd like to do this myself! And thanks for sharing the actual products you used. So helpful!

Your table is an inspiration! We had an 80-100 year old oak tree cut down last weekend. We had the tree guys cut a piece of the trunk I am guessing is about five to eight inches thick so we can make a table of some type...either a bistro or coffee table. Nice work and thanks for sharing the step-by-step details!

Nice looking table but wood 'in the round' is likely to split radilly when it dries out. It will take a lot longer than a few week to dry totally. As timber has a moisture content of up to 80% for certain deciduous trees, that's potentially a lot of shrinkage. It shrinks when water in the cells dries out and the cells shrink. It splits radially because there are more cells around the periphery (the bark area) than in the centre. The sealant may reduce the shrinkage and splitting bu8t in a dry, heated house it will shrink. The same will happen to thin slabs typically used for coasters unless the wood is seasoned 'in the round'. for slabwood this is typically 1 inch a year for hardwoods (deciduous trees) in the U.K. Good luck

You wrote this piece exceptionally well! The table is glorious! Working together, creating something beautiful, and sharing it with us all has got to be very rewarding. Talk about goals!!! Kudos to you both.

Beautiful and extraordinary piece. It is rare that you find something like that in the city. Now you have a newfound hobby and love...Time to go hunting again for stumps in and around the city! All the best!

Hello & Welcome

Mary and Tim Vidra, here! Both Richmond natives & do-it-yourselfers by nature, we are continually in search of simple solutions for living more sustainably — sharing ideas, tips and tricks for DIY home decor, urban gardening and cooking.